GET INSPIRED and/or GET MOTIVATED and/or GET INFORMED and/or GET AWE-STRUCK and/or GET A BREAK FROM ALL THE NEGATIVE NEWS and to tell readers about our good, short books and our online store.

CLICK THE “FOLLOW” LINK ABOVE TO RECEIVE AN E-MAIL ALERT FOR EACH NEW, DAILY POST!!

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CONSTANT QUOTE

IT’S BETTER TO DIE CHASING A DREAM NEVER CAUGHT THAN TO DIE NEVER HAVING CHASED THE DREAM. ~ Joyce Fields

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TELL ME AND I’LL FORGET; SHOW ME AND I MAY REMEMBER; INVOLVE ME AND I’LL UNDERSTAND. ~ Chinese Proverb

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The Candle-Lighter Award and the Sunshine Award

Thank you very much to www.living4bliss.wordpress.com for presenting me with the Candle-Lighter Award and the Sunshine Award. I truly appreciate the recognition!

Both of these awards are for a blog or post that is positive and brings light into the world.

I started this “Good News” blog in July 2010 because I was tired of and disgusted by all the negative news and information. I wanted to give people positive news and information. I’m having a great time looking for, receiving, and posting these pieces! Stay tuned!!

RULES for the Candle-Lighter Award

Whenever you see a blog or post you think brightens the world, give the blogger the Candle-Lighter Award.

Recipients can accept or decline. What does the recipient have to do? Simply accept and nothing more! You can paste this image on your blog, if you wish, and you are done! If you wish to honor someone else with a Candle, pass it on, anytime and as many times and to as many people as you wish.

Come on and help me brighten up all our lives!

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TODAY’S BLOG

We all should know more about the contributions that women have made in order to make this world a better place.

In honor of “Women’s History Month,” I will be SpreadingGoodNews with frequent posts of informative, educational, entertaining pieces about the contributions and accomplishments of women.

I hope you enjoy this piece for the last day of “Women’s History Month.”

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: Mary Fields (aka “Stagecoach Mary”)

Mary Fields, also known as “Stagecoach Mary,” was the first African-American woman employed as a mail carrier in the United States, driving her mail route by stagecoach from Cascade, Montana, to St. Peter’s Mission, Montana. She was only the second American woman in all to work for the United States Postal Service.

Born a slave circa 1832 in Hickman County, Tennessee (the exact year of her birth is uncertain), she was freed when American slavery was outlawed in 1865. For some time she worked repairing the buildings of a school for Native American girls in Montana called Saint Peter’s Mission, eventually advancing to forewoman. In 1895, although approximately 60 years old, Fields was hired as a mail carrier since she was the fastest job applicant to hitch a team of six horses. She drove the route with horses and a mule named “Moses” and never missed a day, earning the nickname “Stagecoach” for her reliability. This was despite heavy snowfalls that sometimes made it necessary for her to deliver the mail on foot, once walking 10 miles back to the depot.

Mary was a pistol-packing, hard-drinking woman, who needed nobody to fight her battles for her. She never married and had no children.

When she retired, she became friends with the famous actor, Gary Cooper.

She was a respected public figure in Cascade, and on her birthday each year the town closed its schools to celebrate.

She died of liver failure in 1914 when she was a little bit over the age of 80.

In the 1996 TV movie, The Cherokee Kid, Fields was played by Dawnn Lewis.

NOTE FROM JOYCE: I wonder if Mary Fields is related to my husband’s family.

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What are your thoughts on this piece?

NOTE FROM JOYCE: If you enjoyed and/or learned from this blog, please leave a comment and send the link to others. Thanks!!

If you’re interested in reading all about “My Breast Cancer Journey,” those posts start with post #334.

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~ Joyce Fields

ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS FROM JOYCE FIELDS

Joyce is an author who has written seven books. If you enjoy this blog, you will, undoubtedly, enjoy all her books. Her sister, Anita, is also an author.

BE INSPIRED! You can read about and order their books AND order merchandise from their online store at this link (or click the “BE INSPIRED!” button above):

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About Line of Serenity (Joyce Fields)

As a thought leader for today's generation, I choose to be part of the solution and am doing things that positively impact people's lives.
In addition to being a happy, married (since 1967!) woman, sister, aunt, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, I have over 40 years' experience in "Corporate America": Stenographer, Secretary, Supervisor, Analyst, Office Manager, Executive Assistant. I am also a professional proofreader and the author of 10 books (mostly non-fiction)--http://www.GoodShortBooks.com).

Oh Dog! I’ve heard the name “Stagecoach Mary” but I really didn’t know who she was. Thanks SO much for sharing her story. We live near Hickman County TN and Jen works there sometimes, so it really brings her story close to home.

And she’s my kinda woman. Here’s a woman who made a life for herself after rising from her bondage, and doing it despite numerous obstacles.